Reagan Doctrine and Cold War Politics

The Reagan Doctrine in Practice

• Reagan prioritized anti-communism over supporting democracy and human rights, with a double standard in favor of dictatorships.
• The Kirkpatrick hypothesis justified this approach, arguing that supporting pro-American dictatorships was better than allowing anti-American regimes to come to power.

El Salvador and Nicaragua

• The US provided substantial aid to the dictatorial regime in El Salvador against Leftist insurgents.
• In Nicaragua, the US supported the Contras in an attempt to overthrow the Sandinistas, leading to international condemnation and a guilty verdict at the International Court for supporting terrorism.

Iran-Contra Affair

• The Boland II amendment prohibited aid to the Contras.
• The US secretly sold arms to Iran through Israel to finance the Contras, leading to a major scandal.

American Invasions

• The US invaded Grenada in 1983 and Panama in 1988.

The End of the Cold War

The Second Cold War

• The Soviet leadership underwent a rapid succession of leaders, including Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, and Gorbachev.
• Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech in 1983 marked a deterioration in US-Soviet relations, with a focus on anti-communist rhetoric and policies.

Strategic Defense Initiative and Operation Able Archer

• The Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars," was a proposed missile defense system.
• Operation Able Archer in 1983 was a NATO military exercise that simulated a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, leading to a heightened state of alert.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

• The East German government introduced new travel measures, but the announcement was poorly communicated, leading to confusion and chaos.
• Thousands of East Berliners gathered at the border crossings, and the guards eventually opened the gates, allowing people to cross into West Berlin.

Mikhail Gorbachev and the Reform of the Soviet Union

• Gorbachev introduced reforms, including Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring), aimed at improving the Soviet political and economic structures.
• These reforms unleashed uncontrollable forces and eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Soviet Foreign Policy and the End of the Cold War

• Gorbachev's foreign policy focused on détente with the West, retreating from Third World conflicts, and reform in Eastern Europe.
• The INF Treaty, signed in 1987, was a major disarmament agreement that reduced the number of nuclear missiles held by both the US and the Soviet Union.

The Impact of Gorbachev's Reforms

• Gorbachev's reforms eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, as the republics and people gained more power and autonomy.
• The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 further weakened the Soviet system and encouraged independence movements in Ukraine and Belarus.

Poland and Hungary

• Poland and Hungary were at the forefront of liberalization, with the Solidarity movement in Poland and the introduction of martial law.
• Lech Walesa was a key figure in the Solidarity movement.

The Iranian Revolution and Its Impact on the Middle East

• The Iranian revolution inspired conservative Muslims throughout the Middle East, showing them that it was possible to overthrow corrupt dictators supported by Great Powers and install a religious Islamic regime.
• The revolution sparked a chain of events that led to the creation of ISIS and the current situation in Syria.

The Iraq-Iran War

• The war drained Iraq's finances, leading to a lot of debt to countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
• Following arguments between Iraq and both countries about the lack of Arab solidarity and manipulation of oil prices, Iraq decided to invade Kuwait and seize its oil production.
• The Americans intervened to liberate Kuwait, and the UN and the US imposed heavy sanctions on Iraq.

The US Invasion of Iraq and the Creation of ISIS

• The US invaded Iraq, an operation that failed miserably and caused the Sunni resistance forces in Iraq to organize themselves.
• This attracted many extremist Muslims willing to fight Americans and Shia Muslims in Iraq, eventually leading to the creation of ISIS.
• The growth of ISIS was further fueled by Syrian rebels fighting the repressive Syrian government.

The Reagan Doctrine

• The Reagan doctrine stated that "we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives, on every continent, to defy Soviet aggression" and that "support for Freedom fighters is self-defence".
• The doctrine was a call to help people fighting communist regimes, viewing it as an obligation and not an interference, but rather self-defence.

The Iran-Iraq War (Cont.)

• The war escalated with both countries bombing each other's cities, and oil tankers being attacked in the Persian Gulf.
• The targeting of oil tankers pushed oil prices up, increasing Iraq's oil revenues.
• The international community, concerned about rising oil prices, started getting involved, with the Americans increasing their military presence in the Gulf region and escorting oil tankers with military vessels.

Notable Events During the Iran-Iraq War

• On 17 May 1987, Iraqi air fighters fired missiles at the American vessel USS Stark, killing 37 American soldiers and wounding many others.
• On 3 July 1988, the Americans shot down a commercial Iranian airplane flying from Tehran to Dubai, killing nearly 300 passengers.

The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe

• Poland had been pushing for reforms since the early 1980s, with the free trade union Solidarnost, led by Lech Walesa, becoming increasingly popular.
• The government granted wage increases, a review of sentences on political prisoners, and promising a free trades union, Solidarity.
• Martial Law was introduced, and a military government under General Jaruzelski was installed, but Jaruzelski eventually decided to follow Gorbachev and embrace reform.

The Liberalization of Hungary

• Hungary planned for free multi-party elections in March 1990, and Gorbachev promised to withdraw the Red Army in April 1989.
• The abolition of the Communist regime was completed by October 1989, and the country's borders with Austria were gradually opened, allowing thousands of people, including East Germans, to flee.

The Impact on East Germany

• The events in Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary, had an impact on East Germany, with protesters demanding reforms and more freedom.
• When Gorbachev visited East Germany in October 1989, he accused Honecker, the East German leader, of failing to respond to demands from the people.
• Honecker resigned, and Krenz took over, making concessions with respect to travel restrictions to make it easier to travel to West Berlin.
• A new law was conceived to allow free travel for East Germans, leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall and eventually, German reunification.

Iran-Iraq War

• Iran seized control of Iraqi territories, and Iraq retaliated with poisonous gas attacks on Iran.
• Both countries started bombing each other's cities, and the "tanker war" began, targeting oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.

International Involvement

• The international community became involved due to rising oil prices.
• The Americans increased their military presence in the Gulf region and started escorting oil tankers with military vessels.

Notable Events

• On May 17, 1987, Iraqi air fighters fired missiles at the American vessel USS Stark, killing 37 American soldiers and wounding many others.
• On July 3, 1988, the Americans shot down a commercial Iranian airplane, killing nearly 300 passengers.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

• In 1989, the communist party spokesperson, Gunther Schabowski, announced new travel measures, which were misunderstood, allowing East Germans to travel freely to Western parts, including West Berlin.
• This led to a chain of events that eventually brought down the wall between East and West Berlin.

US Involvement in Latin America

• The US provided substantial aid to support the dictatorial regime in El Salvador against left-wing insurgents.
• The US aided the right-wing Contras against the left-wing Sandinistas in Nicaragua.
• The US blocked World Bank loans to Nicaragua to sabotage Ortega's regime and supported the Contras in their terrorist activities.

Iran-Contra Affair

• The Reagan administration secretly sold US weapons to Iran via Israel to finance the Contras in their fight against the Sandinistas.
• The plan was exposed, and the Contras, who were losing heavily, had to agree to a cease-fire and received amnesty.

US Military Interventions

• The US invaded Grenada in 1983 after a communist takeover.
• The US invaded Panama in 1988 to remove dictator Manuel Noriega, who was involved in drug trafficking.

Eastern European Countries' Transition

• In Bulgaria, a 'palace coup' occurred, replacing Todor Zhivkov with Petar Mladenov, who promised reform and won elections in June 1990.
• In Czechoslovakia, a 'velvet revolution' occurred, with mass demonstrations leading to the resignation of the Politburo, and Alexander Dubček became the speaker of Parliament, and Vaclav Havel became President.
• In Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu was captured and executed after a violent fall from power.